Refrigerated case



Dec. 27, 1949 E. o. HENDERSON REFRIGERATED CASE Filed July 3, 1947 INKENTOR,

ATTO R N EY Patented Dec. 27,194

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE REFRIGERATED CASE Elden 0. Henderson, Oklahoma City, Okla., as-

signor to E. 0. Henderson and Sons, Oklahoma City, Okla, a copartnership p Application. July 3, 1947, Serial No. 758,895

6 Claims. (01. 62-895) My invention relates to refrigerated cases or boxes, and more particularly to mechanically refrigerated cases from which food or bottled goods may readily be dispensed.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a mechanically refrigerated case so designed and arranged that the refrigerated air is forcibly circulated downwardly through a plurality of compartments which may be utilized for cooling commodities to be dispensed, such cooling being done in stages.

The case of the present invention isdesigned to provide a pre-cooling compartment in which warm commodities are first chilled, a freezing compartment into which the commodities may be transferred either for freezing or for final cooling to a low temperature, and a dispensing or display compartment from which the commodities may be served to the public.

A further object is to provide a case in which the flow of the refrigerating air is so controlled that although it actually flows under pressure, none of the cold air is lost where the case is opened for withdrawal of the commodities.

The case of the present invention is so designed, that the refrigerating air is forced to flow over and about the commodities while they reside in an open topped compartment or chamber, and

while the commodities are freely accessible from the exterior of the case, the arrangement being such that no refrigerated air is lost from the case, during removal of the commodities.

Another object is to provide a case of this class in which the commodities may automatically gravitate from the freezing chamber to the dispensin or display compartment, as others are removed from the dispensing chamber.

An additional object is to create pressure differ entials in the different compartments, whereby temperatures may be accurately controlled.

In cases of this class wherein refrigerated air is forcibly circulated, there is usually some point in the case or box at which condensation of moisture from the air takes place. It is an object of the present invention to so arrange the interior of the box that there is no condensation of moisture at any point in which the commodities reside,

thus leaving the articles to be dispensed free from frost.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying one sheet of drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a box or case constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially through the center of the case; and,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, partially in section, detailing the'arrangement of a latch used in the case.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral l indicates, as a whole, a substantially rectangular hollow box or case having a vertical front wall 2, a bottom 3, a vertical rear wall 4, a horizontal top 5, and two vertical end walls which are respectively indicated by the numerals 6 and l. The box forming elements'are all made of some suitable heat insulating materials, the particular construction of which is not particularly pertinent to the present invention. For instance, they might well be formed of spaced apart sheet metal strips 8 which confine between them an insulating body 9 (Fig. 3). s

The case is so constructed that the front edge of the top 5 terminates a substantial distance to the rear of the front wall 2, and the upper edge of the front wall 2 lies a substantial distance below and to the front of the forward edge of the top 5. The end walls 6 and I are therefore provided with downwardly and forwardly sloping upper edges ill which extend from the forward edge of the top 5 to a point slightly above the upper edge of the front wall 2. A vertical glass panel l I is provided upon the upper edge of the front wall 2, and the panel it extends upwardly to a point of horizontal alignment with the lower extent of the sloping edges ID of the two end walls. The glass panel H is preferably formed of two spaced apart panes i2 having a dead air space M therebetween.

The front wall 2. is provided with two openings through which commodities may be placed in the case, and the openings are adapted to be closed by swingin doors IS. A false floor i6 is provided on the bottom 3 in slightly raised relation thereto, for receiving such commodities as are inserted through said openings.

Extending longitudinally of the box between its two ends 6 and I, and disposed at a downwardly and rearwardly sloping angle, there is provided a flat surfaced panel H. The space between the upper forward end of the panel I! and the front edge of the box top 5 is closable by a pair of doors l8 which are each pivoted on a horizontal axis panacea 3 to the top 5. The doors It are each covered by a bent sheet IQ of metal which is substantially L-shaped in cross section, and which forms a protective coping.

As best illustrated in Fig. 2, the doors may be swung upward and rearwardly to an open position in which the coping sheet l9 rests upon the top 5 of the box. The coping sheet l8 might well be eliminated, if desired, since its principal purpose is to enhance the appearance of the box.

A glass or metal panel or door 20 has its upper edge swingably connected to the front surface of the panel 11, and the panel 20 ma be selectively swung from a closed position as illustrated in solid lines in Fig. 2, to an open position as shown in dotted lines in, said figure. A bolttype latch mechanism 2| mounted on each end portion of the door 20 is adapted to be engaged in armored holes in the case ends 6 and l in order to hold the door in open or closed position. One of said holes appears in Fig. 3 and is indicated by the reference numeral.

Extending the full length of the box along the inside surface of the rear wall 4, there is provided a vertical partition 23 which is spaced a few inches from said rear wall 4 to form a vertical air passage 24 along said rear wall. The partition 23 has its opposite ends rigidly connected to the box ends 6 and l, and its upper edge has a horizontal 3 shelf portion 25 upon which is mounted a conventional mechanical air refrigerating unit of the fluid compression and expansion ,type. The refrigerating unit includes a fan 26 adapted to draw air from the vertical passage 24 and exhaust it through a usual expansion coil unit 21 into the upper portion of the case I.

A foraminous shelf 28 extends from end to,

end within the case I, and has its forward edge hinged to the upper rear surface of the slanting panel or wall I1. The shelf 28 may be held in horizontal position, as shown in solid lines in Fig. 2, or it may be dropped onto the panel I I so that it will lay in the position shown in dotted lines in said figure. Bolt type latches 29 similar to the latches 2|, may be used in a similar manner to hold the shelf 28 in its horizontal position.

Extending from end to end within the case I, and bridging the space between the partition 23 and the inner surface of the front wall 2, there is provided a horizontal partition 30 which acts as a bottom for the central compartment of the case. The extreme front edge portion 3i of the horizontal floor 30 is provided with a-plurality of air passages or holes through which air may travel from the central to the lower compartment of the box. An up-standing baffle-plate 32 extends along the entire length of the front portion of the floor 30, just inside of the perforated portion 3|.

In the present description reference to the upper compartment is intended to mean the space lying above the shelf 28. The central compartment is intended to mean the space lying above the floor 30 and below the shelf 28. The lower compartment is the space lying below the floor 30 and above the bottom 3 of the case.

In operation, the air is forced by the fan'to circulate from the upper compartment downwardly through the shelf 28, if the shelf is in its horizontal position, to enter the central compartment at a point below the lower free edge of the sloping panel I'I.

At the same time, the fan sucks air from the lower compartment through the rear vertical passage 24. Action of the fan therefore creates a the intake side of said differential in air pressures in the central and lower compartments.

Reduction of air pressure in the lower compart ment creates a downward suction through the perforations in the portion 3| of the floor 30. Since the air in the central compartment is being forced by the fan to travel from the rear of the case toward its front, it follows the line of least resistance and flows downwardly through the perforations in the floor portion 3|.

It is obvious that the case of the present invention provides a pre-cooling compartment (the lower one) into which warm commodities may be placed for the initial cooling process. The upper compartment may be used as a quick-freezing chamber when commodities are placed upon the shelf 28. The central compartment is a self serving chamber from which commodities may be removed through the space lying between the lower front surface of the sloping panel I! and the upper edge of the glass panes l2.

Since the outlet from central compartment is considerably below the upper edge of the glass panes l2, and since cold air has a tendency to fall rather than to rise, and also since the warm air from the outside atmosphere will be present in .that part of the compartment lying above the panes l2, no cold air'leaks over the glass panes to the outside atmosphere, even though the door 20 is left in its dotted line fully open position.

The cold air in the central compartment is forced to circulate over and about any commodities resting therein upon the floor 30.

In handling some commodities in the case of the present invention, for instance bottled goods. the upper and central compartments may be filled with the bottles, which are layed longitudinally of the case. As bottles are withdrawn from the front of the central compartment, others will gravitate downwardly along the sloping panel I1, and those in the central compartment will thereby be forced to move forwardly along the floor 3B. In such a usage, bottles which have been prechilled in the lower compartment will from time to time be removed therefrom, and will be placed in the upper compartment. Of course, during such a use, the shelf 28 will be dropped to its open position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The lid or door 20 will be closed only during such time as the case is not being dispensed from, for instance at night when the establishment is closed.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown'in the drawings and described herein further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In refrigerating apparatus, a case including: an upper compartment; a mechanical refrigerating unit therein; a fan in the rear portion of said compartment for exhausting air through said unit; a second compartment below and communicating with said upper compartment, said second compartment having an open top portion through which merchandise may be removed; a lower outlet for air in said second compartment; and means for returning air from said outlet to fan.

2. In refrigerating apparatus, a case including: an upper compartment; a mechanical refrigerating unit therein; an air circulating fan in said compartment; a central compartment below and 5 communicating with said upper compartment, said central compartment having an open top through which merchandise may be removed; a lower compartment; means permitting air circulation from the central to the lower compartment; and a return air passage by-passing the central compartment and extending from the lower compartment to the intake side of said fan.

3. Structure as specified in claim 1, and means for retaining commodities in the upper compartment.

4. Structure as specified in claim 2, and means for retaining commodities in the upper compartment.

5. In refrigerating apparatus, a case including: a horizontal partition forming the top of a lower compartment; a downwardly slanting partition of weight supporting construction for receiving commodities thereon, said slanting partition being spaced above the horizontal partition and dividing the case into upper and central compartments having communication with each other whereby commodities may gravitate from the upper to the central compartment; a reach-in opening in the top of the central compartment through which commodities may be removed; a mechanical re- 6 frigerating unit in the upper compartment; an air circulating fan in the'upper compartment for delivering cooled air therefrom to the central compartment; a passage through the horizontal partition for conveying air from the central to the lower compartment; and a return air passage extending from the lower to the upper compartment and by-passing the central compartment.

6. In refrigerating apparatus, a case including: a plurality of superimposed compartments; means for circulating refrigerated air downwardly through said compartments consecutively; and an air passage for returning said air from the lower compartment to the upper one, said passage bypassing the intermediate compartments.

ELDEN o. HENDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Swanson Aug. 1, 1939 Number 

